Hay and silage carrier



March .1958 1.. A. HUNNICUTT ETAL 2,825,478

RAY AND SILAGE "CARRIER Filed Feb. 29, 1956 3 Sheets-sheaf, 1

lEO/V A: HU/YN/CUTT HARVEY J. HUHN 4 TTOANE K March 4, 1953 L. A.HUNNICUTT ETAL 2,825,478

' HAY AND SILAGE CARRIER Filed Feb. 29. 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VE/YTOPS.

HARVEY J. HL/HN I N I '51 3 1 h in? ill J I," -1- 68 22 no 60 H0LEO/V14. HUNN/CUTT Mam}! 4, 1958 L. A. HUNNICUTT ETAL 2,825,473

HAY AND SILAGE CARRIER Filed Feb. 29, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 izg 5 4 1 3434 INVENTORS.

l EON A. HUNN/C'UTT HA1? VEY J. HUHN BYW-X ,4 TTOPNEK trite StatesPatent HAY AND SELAGE CARRIER Leon A. Hunnicutt, Ledyard, and Harvey J.Huhn,

Tama, Iowa Application February 29, 1956, Serial No. 568,660 1 Claim.(Cl. 214507) Our invention relates to a new and improved carrier forhay, silage and like materials.

These materials after being harvested are usually blown into a carrierwhich is generally an open top wagon and while such procedure iscommonplace, there are certain drawbacks and disadvantages involvedwhich we have observed and which We have overcome. Included in thedisadvantages is the fact that much material can he lost particularly inthe loading procedure and also during transportation especially underwindy conditions. in addition the susceptibility of the load to becomingwet during a rain is an unfavorable factor together with the fact thatthe unloading of the material is an arduous and time consuming task.

Accordingly therefore we have as one of the important objects of thisinvention the provision of a self unloading carrier for hay, silage andlike materials that is designed to be operated from the power take-offof a tractor.

Another object of our invention is to provide a carrier of the aboveclass designed to provide protection for the contents therein from theelements.

A further object inhering in this invention is the provision of aconveyor means for receiving the contents of the carrier as they areunloaded so as to deposit them in a predetermined location.

Other objects and advantages of this invention reside in the details ofconstruction and correlation of the various parts and will be apparentas the description proceeds.

This invention consists of novel parts and combination of parts to behereinafter described whereby the objects set forth are attained, aspointed out in the claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of our invention shown mounted forillustration on a wheeled chassis, and showing the conveyor unitattached at the front,

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view with the conveyor unit removed,

Fig. 3 is a rear elevational view of the conveyor unit with portions cutaway to more fully illustrate its construction,

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken from the line 4-4 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken from the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings a wheeled chassis shown generally at it} inFig. 1 illustrates how our carrier may be mounted for transportation butno invention is claimed for the chassis, it being merely illustrative asindicated. Our carrier which is in the form of a cylindrical housing ordrum 12 is supported by a suitable frame which is shown as a pluralityof upstanding spaced apart U shaped frame members 14, 16, and 18preferably of channel material, that are secured in their spacedrelationship by means of a pair of rails or supports 2% and 22. Thusarranged frame members 14 and 18 define the respective rear and front ofthe supporting unit and rails 29 and 22 extend to and between theselimits. The chassis 10, when used, is mounted to the rails and 22.

ice

It will be understood that each frame member 14, 16 and 13 consist ofthe parallel upstanding arms 24 and 26 and the integral horizontalconnecting bar or rail 23. On each frame 14, 16 and 18 and extending atan approximate 45 angle between each respective arm 24 and 26 and thecentral portion of rail 28 we provide a pair of brackets 35 in parallelposition on opposite sides of the channel member forming the frames 14,16 and 1S, and rotatably journalled between each set of these bracketsare the rollers 32. A similar roller 34 is likewise mounted at thecenter of each rail 28 as shown in Figs. 2, 5 and 6. Our carrier housingor member 12 is arranged longitudinally within the supporting structurejust described so as to rest on the several rollers 32 and 34 as shownin Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5, and is rotatable on such support about itslongitudinal axis as will later appear.

The rear end 36 of carrier 12 (Fig. 5) is closed and is provided withair vents in the form of screened openiugs 3:5 or any other suitablemeans such as louvers or the like. The front end as seen in Fig. 4 isopen although a closure is provided therefore which does not engage thefront end to interfere with its rotation. This is provided by a barmember 40 secured to and extending between the upper end of arms 24 and26 on frame 18 (Fig. l) at which point it substantially bisects theopening at the front of the carrier: an A frame 42 is mounted to theupper side of bar 49 to which is attached a piece of sheet metal or thelike 44 shaped to cover the upper half of the front of carrier 12.Transversely through sheet 44 and supported by braces 46 near the apexof frame 42 is a short tube or pipe 48 which projects on each side ofsheet 44 and is designed to receive the discharge end of a tube or hose(not shown) from a hay picker or the like. On the inner side of sheet44, the tube 48 is sloped upwardly as at 50 so as to deflect incominghay, silage or the like upwardly in order to prevent a prematureaccumulation thereof near the front of the carrier. To the underside ofbar 40 a door 51, shaped similarly to sheet 44, is hingedly detachablydepended by the pins 52.

On the inner surface of carrier 12 we have formed the spirally arrangedplates or flange-like member 54 extending from front to rear andprojecting inwardly from the inner surface thereof. This may be onecontinuous spiral member or may be more than one and preferably we haveused two having them overlap somewhat in the front center portion of thecarrier. These spiral members 54 operate similarly to a screw conveyorin moving hay and the like when the carrier rotates as will be laterdescribed.

Power to rotate the carrier 12 is obtained from the power take-off of atractor and is accomplished in the following manner. A shaft 56 (Fig. l)connectible to the power take-0d of a tractor (not shown) is rotatablysupported in a bearing member 58 (Figs. 2 and 5) depending from rail 23of frame 18 and on the rearward side of rail 28 carries the sprocket 69(Fig. 4). A shaft 62 (Fig. 1), rotatably connected between brackets 36on frames 16 and 18 carries the respective sprockets 64 and 66 onopposite ends with sprocket 66 being connected to sprocket 63) (Fig. 4)by an endless chain 68. A shaft 7d (Fig. 1) substantially parallel toand on a slightly lower plane than shaft 62 is rotatably journalled tothe same supports as shaft 62 and carries a sprocket 72 in lateralalignment with sprocket 64 (Fig. 5). On the outer surface of carrier 12in lateral alignment with sprockets 64 and 72 we have provided a chaintrack formed by a pair of parallel spaced circumscribing ribs 74, andprojecting perpendicularly from this track in spaced relationship aboutthe carrier are the lugs 76 which in effect are sprocket teeth as willapproximately thirteen (13') R. P. Misr appear. An endless chain v78 thetrack between ribs .74 engaging the lugs 76, over sprocket 64, undersprocket 72 from. the side'adjacent sprocket 64. and upwardly around theouter side of Sprocket 72 as shown in Figs. 1 and Rotation of thechirief 1'2'.as,viewed in'Figs. 1 and 2 is clockwise so that f the.path'oi chain 78 over sprocket 64 a'nd under sprocket 72 (Figs. '1 and5) produces a lifting effect on the, carrier to relieve its weight onrollers 32 and 34. e

i'fhe operation or this carrier so far described is as follows. Hay or:the like. will be blown into the carrier through pipe 48 which deflectsit upwardly by incline 50 so. V as'to not prematurely fill up theforward part thereof.

Vents38'permit the escape of'air'and dust that might otherwise blowoutthe front, although the use of the front 'asasms" A Y extends around thecarrier in 7 sheetf44 anddoorSIwill effectively provide a closure at thefront of the 'carrienif desired. To unload the hay or the like'fromthefron't of "the carrier, shaft 56 is connected in awell *known'mannerto .the' power take-01f of a tractor whereby the carrier rotatesclockwise as viewled in 1,. -When this operation is in effect the platesor auger-like members 54 move the hay in screw'conveyor fashion towardthe front of the carrier where it is spilled'out. Cartier 12-rotates onrollers 32 and 34 and as previously pointed out, the arrangement 'ofchain 78 over sprockets 64 and 72 provides a lifting action on thecarrier to relieve pressure and friction with the rollers. The speedof'rotation of the carrier while not critica'l is recommended at 'Itwill be appreciated that the carrier 12 by virtue of its constructionprovidesprotection tort-he contentsthere'in from theelements atall'times. Door 51- 'which is-easily detachable may be removed withoutmaterially affecting the cover'protection for the contents of thecarrier but We preferto'use it especially-during transportation.

. The facilitate the unloading of our carrier, we have provided iorusetherewith a conveyor uni-t indicated geni orally at 89 in .Figs. Land3..

A chain conveyormeansBZwith the spaced flights 94 is disposed within thehousing 82 (Big. ,3) and movesin one direction in .a horizontal pathacross the bottom .8

on the inside r of bottom 84- and in the other direction along theunderside of i the bottom through the respective openings 96 and 93;.

V spirit and-purpose thereof; It is thus intended to cover 1 the bottom84, passing-at opposite ends of i For this purpose the sprockets 109 and102v aresprovided as shown in a well known manner and towards sidefifiof ,the housing 82 the chain 92'is inclinedupwardly to pass over asprocket 153 4 which is carriedby a shaft 10.6 having asquare socketportion thatcommunicates with the rear of housing .32 through flange 8 9Shaft 106 is positioned to regisferswith the square end ofshaft 6 2-(Fig. 2-) that .projects' forwardly from brace 30 on frame 18 gsothatwhen this conveyor ismounted to the carrier as described,

the square end of shaft:;62 will enter .the socket inshaft 1 06 on theconveyor to provide power from the tractor power take-01f in operating.chainconveyor 92; h I 7 On the underside of. the bottom 84 of.c0nveyor;80, :a

pair of :spaced plates .or flanges .108 (Fig. 6;) depend eX- tendingperpendicular "to conveyor :sides' .86 and '88 and to theiunderside ofthese flanges and perpendicular to their a longitudinal axisjare securedthe spaced mounting mem- 1 bers shown in the form of angle irons 110(Figs. 1 and 4-). V Membersllti'are detachably secured respectivelytothe V respective rails '20: as shown in Fig. 4. The flanges 168 serve*as epacer members *to allow clearance for chain 92 "below the bottom 84(Fig. 3) -a-nd also raise the bottom 7 v 'Setc: the level of the top ofrail '28 on frame 1 8, "so that 5 when this conveyor is mounted asdescribed, the bottom 84 will be on the same plane as the bottom levelof the 7 carrier as it rotates in'the' unloading operation (Fig. 6

An arcuate guide plate l lZQlFig; 3) is used for chain 7 r,

92 for obvious reasons.

ain 92 ony onv yor as viewed .inff f 3, v from left to right so thathayand the likereceived from j the carrier "12 is carried towardconveyor side'86; The Q discharge end of chain 92is elevated from itsreceiving end as is ."apparentand :1113) moveson chain V92jover sprocket104 it will fall on a, bafiie plate114 which is inclined downwardly'toside86. Anendgate-likedoor' 41 6 whichserves as a closure for .side'86can be dropped 7 to form a chute or slide as an extensionof'batfle 114and,

can ;be positioned over a hin or the like to deposit the contentsaof thecarrier at any sele'ctedplace. Chains 1 18;

Support the gatee116 in .a wellknownmanner. I Io keepthe carrierfromboun'cingor otherwise moving out of place within frames 14, 16 and ;18,we have pro-f vided the flexible straps .or' hands 12.0;of metal orv thelike placed at the front and. rearkrespectively of the carrier when inuse. Asfshown in Fig. .1 these straps engage the:

upper outer portion ofthe' carrier. near frames 14 and 18 and aredetaehably secured by bolts 122 orthe'like .to' f the upstanding arms24'and 26' of the respective'frames 14 and 181 In addition we haveformed tracks or channels around the carrier: 12 by the parallel spacedribs 124ifor the respective rollers 32 and 34 tofr'ide in which alsokeep a the carrier properly positioned relative to the frames 14, f.

16 and 18. V v V i V 7 It is submitted that the invention shown anddescribed is aptly suited'to achieve the purposes intended andis char,

acterized' by a combination'of highly useful and. mutually 5 cooperatingelementsuthat combine theinrespective and accomplishing the objects;

proportionate functions; in sought to'be obtained.

It will be understoodfthat the 'phraseology employed herein "is for thepurpose of description and not forllimita ,tion and that modificationsand changes in the construc-. tion and arrangemento'f this invention canbe made within the scope of what is claimed; without departing from theby the claim, any modified :forms of structure or ,me-

[chancial equivalents which may be reasonably included within theirscope- We claim: 4 A carrier and 7 comprising, a U shaped supportmember, roller: members carried by the flo wer portion of said supportmembe a cylindrical housing nested in said support member and on saidroller members, a spiral flange projecting inwardly tram the inner sideolf said housing,-drive means for rotata ing said housing aboutits-longitudinal axis,-a conveyor removably attachable to said supportmemberfhdjdo'ent one end of saidhousing, said conveyor operetivelyconfnected to said drive means, said conveyor positioned-to movetransversely of the longitudinal axis of'saidh'onsing, a closure at oneend ofsaid conveyor, and said closure being movable to a positionforminga discharge chute relative to the discharge end of the conveyor.

References "Cited in therflle of "this patent UNI ED STATES P entsminder for my, silage and the like,

Hau g Dec. 15,1903 f

